Can opener



July 22, 1958 G. E. WILMUTH CAN OPENER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 20, 1957 FIG.5.

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' CAN OPENER Filed June 20, 1957' :5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 6.

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United States Patent CAN OPENER Glen E. Wilmuth, Norman, Okla.

Application June 20, 1957, Serial No. 666,890

4 Claims. (Cl. 30-8) This invention relates to a can opener, and more particularly to a can opener for the use in the opening of a can of beverage.

The primary object of this invention is to form a vented opening in the top of a beverage can.

In the ordinary procedure of opening a can of beverage, the tools now in us are laborious, slow, and clumsy. There frequently is an overflow and spillage when these tools are used.

Another object of this invention is to minimize the spillage from overflow and to speed up the operation of opening a can of beverage with a great amount of ease.

Among its features, my invention embodies two substantially by-symmetrical castings which when matched and fastened together form a frame. Two arms, one upper and one lower, pivotally connected to a can holder, designed to cause the can holder to be swung in an arc and hold the can holder in a tilted position at start of swing and to a level position at the bottom of the swing and simultaneously causing a can cutter, fastened to a 90 degree projection of the upper arm to engage the highest point of the can in the can holder while in a tilted position and cut a triangular elongated slit opening in the top of the can.

Other features include a spring, loaded on the downward swing to cause the can holder to follow a diminishing pressure on the back swing to its normal position. A can receiver, embodied in the can holder, grooved to receive the bottom rim of the can and to arrest the upperward force created by the can cutter disengaging from the can on the backward swing. A screw clamp adapted to be attached to the bottom of the frame when the use of wood screws used to secure the can opener to a permanent base is not desirable.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side view in elevation of the can opener embodying the features of this invention.

Figure 2 is a front view of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged side view of the can cutter.

Figure 4 is a front view of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a bottom view of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a front view of the left half of the frame.

Figure 7 is a side view of the right half of the frame with the moving parts in place and showing the action of the can opener.

Figure 8 is a front view in elevation of the can holder.

Figure 9 is a top view of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is an enlarged fragmentary front view taken substantially along the line 10-10 of Figure 7.

Figure 11 is an enlarged fragmentary front view taken substantialy along the line 1111 of Figure 7.

Figure 12 is an enlarged front transverse view taken along the line 12-12 of Figure 7.

Referring to the drawings in detail, my improved can opener consists of two substantially bi-symmetrical castings 6 and 7 which form the frame when matched and fastened together by flat head stove bolts 18. A reinforced section 20 embodied in each of the two castice:

2 ings 6 and 7 has raised bosses to provide the necessary spacing for the action of the spring 16 and the upper arm 14 and the lower arm 13. The spring 16 is fastened to the upper arm and to a raised boss on one of the castings by a round head stove bolt 25. The boss on the opposite casting at this point is eliminated to allow the flush matching of the two castings. The upper arm 14 and lower arm 13 are attached to the two matched castings by the pivot pins 17. The drilled holes in the reinforced parts of the matched castings that receive the pivot pins are recessed to lock the pivot pins in place as illustrated in Figure 11. The can holder 8 is composed of two L- shaped side pieces 22 that are fastened together with flat head stove bolts 18 with spacer bar 21 and the extension on the bottom of the can receiver casting 23 between them. As shown most clearly in Fig. 12, a grooved flange 23a is formed on the upper edge of each side of the casting 23 to receive the rim around the bottom of a can, as will be hereinafter set forth. The lower extremities of the upper arm 14 and the lower arm 13 are also fastened between the L-shaped side pieces 22 by pivot pins 17. The drilled holes in the L-shaped side pieces 22 that receive the pivot pins are recessed to lock the pivot pins in place as illustrated in Figure 10. It will also be observed (see Fig. 7) that the various pivot pins 17 are arranged such that the length of the support arm 14 between its respective pivot pins 17 is less than the length of the lower arm 13 between its respective pivot pins 17 to tilt the can holder 8 as previously indicated.

The can cutter 3 is slotted to fit over the outer end of a triangulanshaped projection 14a extending from the upper arm 14 over the can holder 8. Mating holes are drilled in the projection 14a and in the can cutter 3 to receive the Philister head bolts 19.

The flanged bearings 24 are used at the four pivot points of this can opener as illustrated in Figures 10 and 11.

The screw clamp base 15, an optional accessory to the can opener, has holes drilled and tapped to match the counter sunk holes in the base of the frame as illustrated in Figure 1.

In operation, it will be understood, that the frame (Figure 1) is attached to a counter or other solid area in an upright position, the can holder 8 then being in an extended position to receive the can 26. The can 26 is received in the holder 8 in a tilted position, with the bottom rim around the can 26 inserted in the grooves of the flange 23a. Pressure is applied against the can with the hand actuating the loaded spring 16,, causing the lower arm 13 and the upper arm 14 to move downward on the pivot pins 17 bringing the can cutter 3 into contact with the highest point of the can in the can holder, cutting a triangular elongated slit in the top of the can. When pressure against the can is released the loaded spring 16 returns the arms 13 and 14 to the original position disengaging the can cutter 3.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device for opening cans, the combination of: a frame, a pair of arms pivotally secured tothe frame in vertically spaced relation for movement in a vertical plane, a can holder having a back portion and a base portion extending at a right angle from the back portion, said base portion being of a size to support the bottom of a can, a pair of pins pivotally securing said arms to the back portion of the can holder in vertically spaced relation, the distance between the upper pin and the pivotal connection of the upper arm to the frame being less than the distance between the lower pin and the pivotal connection of the lower arm to the frame to tilt the top of a can in the holder toward the frame when the arms are pivoted upwardly, a projection extending from the upper arm over the can holder, and a cutter secured on said projection in outwardly spaced relation from the back portion of the can holder.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 characterized further toin'clude a spring connected between the frame and one of said arms continually urging the can'holder upwardly.

3. The combination defined-in claim '1 characterized further in that the base portion of the can holder has 0pposed grooves therein to receive the-rim around the bottom of the can.

4. The combination defined in claim 1 characterized further in that said frame comprises two vertically extending symmetrical sections, said sections "having'mating recesses therein to receive said arms, and said sections having mating flanges extending over said arms to 'form a hood over said arms, said upper arm being extended through said recesses to the side of the frame'opposite said hood, and a tension spring connected between the upper arm on the side of the frame opposite said hood and the frame to urge the can holder upwardly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

